This Day in History (June 7)

Date: 06 June 2021 - 21:47

News ID: ۹۰۹۷۳

Today is Monday; 17th of the Iranian month of Khordad 1400 solar hijri; corresponding to 26th of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1442 lunar hijri; and June 7, 2021, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.
1132 lunar years ago, on this day in 310 AH, the renowned Iranian Islamic historian and exegete of the holy Qur’an, Mohammad bin Jarir Tabari, passed away in Baghdad at the age of 86. Born in Amol in Tabaristan in present day Mazandaran near the Caspian Sea, he left his hometown at the age of 12 to study in Rayy, where he remained for five years studying Islam and history and was introduced to the pre-Islamic history as well. He then went to the Abbasid capital, Baghdad, for further study and in his late twenties took up travel, visiting Basra, Kufah and Wasset to meet scholars, and later going to Syria, Palestine and Egypt. After staying for three years in Egypt he returned to Baghdad, performing the Hajj pilgrimage on the way. He never married and never took a government job or judicial position. He retained close ties with his hometown, Amol, and returned at least twice, the last time in 290 AH at the age 66. He initially followed the Shafei School of jurisprudence, but later in life came up with a jurisprudential school of his own named “Jariri” after him, which, however, did not survive. Tabari’s monumental work is titled “Tarikh ar-Rusol wa’l-Mulouk” (History of Prophets and Kings). It is a universal history from the time of creation to around 302 AH, and is renowned for its detail and accuracy concerning Muslim history, as well as the history of pre-Islamic Iran, Rome, Greece, Egypt and other places. His exegesis of the holy Qur’an is titled “Jame’ al-Bayan”. He also wrote a two-volume book titled “al-Wilayah” in which he has collected various sources of the historical event of Ghadeer-Khom, where on 18th Zilhijja, 10 AH, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) while returning from his farewell Hajj pilgrimage, was commanded by God Almighty to proclaim Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) as vicegerent.
1159 solar years ago, on this day in 862 AD, al-Muntasir-Billah, the 14th self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, died at the age of 24 under suspicious circumstances, after less than half-a-year reign, believed to be bled by a poisonous lancet. Son of the tyrant Mutawakkil, whom he killed with the help of the Turkic guards and succeeded as caliph, he was in turn succeeded by his uncle, Mustain.
922 solar years ago, on this day in 1099 AD, the Crusader invaders from Europe laid siege to the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, which they called Jerusalem and captured it a month and a week later on July 15. A year earlier these European invaders taking advantage of discord among the Muslims, especially the enmity of the Turkic warlords with the Fatemid Shi’ite Muslims rulers of Egypt who controlled most of Syria including Palestine, had captured Antioch. Then moving along the Mediterranean coast they laid siege to Arqa until May 13 but could not capture it. The Fatemids took up the proposal of peace on condition that the crusaders do not march upon Bayt al-Moqaddas, but this was ignored. Iftekhar od-Dowla, the Fatemid governor of Bayt al-Moqaddas, becoming aware of motives of the Crusaders strengthened the defences of the city. Meanwhile, the Crusaders were given money and horses by the Turkic ruler of Tripoli, who also promised to convert to Christianity if they capture Bayt al-Moqaddas from the Fatemids. The Crusaders thus succeeded in passing unopposed through Beirut on May 19, Tyre on May 23, and turning inland at Jaffa, reached Ramlah on June 3, which had already been abandoned by its inhabitants. On June 6, they seized Bayt-Laham, and on the next day reached the outskirts of Bayt al-Moqaddas. Iftekhar od-Dowla resisted but no reinforcement arrived from Egypt. Many Muslims sought shelter in the al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock. When the city was starved and forced to surrender, the Crusaders broke all promises and started slaughtering the Muslim men, women, and children. In all over 70,000 people were massacred including Palestinian Christians and the Jewish minority. According to their own accounts, the Crusaders boasted of wading in blood up to their ankles, while killing Muslims. It is stated that when the Jews sought refuge in their synagogue, the Crusaders burned it over their heads, killing everyone inside.
680 solar years ago, on this day in 1341 AD, the 7th Mamluk (slave) Sultan of Egypt and Syria, al-Mansour Saif od-Din Qalawun, died at the age of 70 after a reign of 11 years. A Qipchaq Turk of Eurasia, who was sold into slavery during his teen years and ended up in the service of Egypt’s Kurdish Ayubid ruler, Sultan as-Saleh, he quickly rose into prominence, because of his abilities. Under his predecessor, Sultan Baybars, he displayed his military prowess in the victorious wars against the Mongols. In 680 AH, Qalawun decisively defeated the huge joint Mongol-Christian army of 80,000 led by Monke Timur, the brother of the Iran-based Abaqa Khan in the Second Battle of Homs, fought in western Syria. He also checked the ambitions of the usurper Crusader states on the coasts of Palestine and Lebanon. He was a great builder of mosques and public institutes, which are still intact in the Egyptian capital.
329 solar years ago, on this day in 1692 AD, an earthquake struck the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. It rearranged the geology, splitting the rocks, turning mountains to lakes, and engulfed two-thirds of Port Royal. On this day and the subsequent days, five thousand of the inhabitants were killed.
173 solar years ago, on this day in 1848 AD, French painter, Paul Gauguin, was born in Paris. He spent his last years on the Island of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean painting the natives and the local landscape.
149 lunar years ago, on this day in 1293 AH, the Source of Emulation, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abdul-Mohammad Musavi, passed away. A child prodigy he memorized the holy Qur’an when only seven years old and at the age of 24 attained the status of Ijtehad – or independent reasoning on basis of the Holy Qur’an and Prophet’s Hadith. He was one of the prominent lecturers and his services include establishment of seminaries and other social activities. He wrote several books, including the treatise titled “Zakhirat al-Ebaad”.
142 solar years ago, on this day in 1879 AD, as part of the War of the Pacific, between Chile, Peru and Bolivia, the Battle of Arica, also known as Assault and Capture of Cape Arica, was fought. Finally, Chile emerged victorious and dictated a treaty to the governments of Peru and Bolivia, according to which Bolivian coastlines and parts of Peru were annexed.
116 solar years ago, on this day in 1905 AD, Norway declared independence from Sweden. Their union had been in effect since 1814.
83 solar years ago, on this day in 1938 AD, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the pro-West Chinese Nationalist government of Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, created the 1938 Yellow River flood to halt Japanese forces, resulting in the death of almost 900,000 Chinese civilians.
56 lunar years ago, on this day in 1386 AH, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hibat-od-Din Shahrestani, passed away at the age of 85 in Iraq. Born in Holy Karbala, he completed his higher studies at the famous seminary of Holy Najaf, and was active in both the religious and social spheres; writing books and personally taking part in the battles against the British occupiers of Iraq. He served Iraq as Head of the Judiciary, Minister of Islamic Affairs, and parliamentary representative. He strove for the unity of the Islamic world, and cooperated with the famous Egyptian activist, Sheikh Mohammad Abduh – the disciple of Iran’s Seyyed Jamal od-Din Asadabadi. Among the books written by him are a series of children’s books, the “Tafsir al-Mohit” exegesis of the holy Qur’an, the “Nahdhat-al-Hussaini” on the philosophy behind the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), and “Hikmat-al-Ahkam” on jurisprudential laws.
54 solar years ago, on this day in 1967 AD, army units of the illegitimate Zionist entity called Israel, entered and occupied the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), and have refused to withdraw ever since. The Zionists, with the support of the West, especially the US, have continued to oppress and expel the native Palestinians, and in addition to Judaizing this Islamic city, have drilled tunnels underneath the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque as part of their sordid plan to destroy the former qibla of Islam.
51 solar years ago, on this day in 1970 AD, British novelist, Edward Morgan Forster, died at the age of 91. His novels include “A Room with a View” (1908) and “A Passage to India” (1924).
42 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, following establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, all banks along with a number of other financial and industrial establishments were nationalized. The nationalization and the subsequent consolidation of the banks paved the way for the launching of Islamic banking, which has greatly expanded.
41 solar years ago, on this day in 1980 AD, Zionist warplanes bombarded the Tamouz Atomic Power Station of Iraq in the vicinity of Baghdad. Although this criminal attack led to worldwide condemnation, the UN Security Council did not take any measure against Israel. The illegal Zionist entity which possesses more than 300 nuclear warheads, manufactured with US, British, and French help, refuses supervision of its atomic installations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
11 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, Iran’s first women-only bank branch opened, allowing ladies to manage their finances without dealing with unrelated men, as part of Islam’s dynamic shari’ah to ensure proper progress of all sections of the society, in keeping with their social status and dignity.
11 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, the Iranian Red Crescent Society dispatched three aid ships to Gaza in the latest bid to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory by the illegal Zionist entity.